Grey Sky
by papilon
Summary: A grudge of a woman with an aid from wishgranter witch changes the course of fate of one certain youth, and Earth along with it. Eventually SuSei


**Disclaimer:** "Tokyo Babylon", "X", "xxxHolic" and all characters and/or contents are belonged to CLAMP and their publishers. The author does not have any legal ownership of these works, and they are being used only as a fan fiction material. This is a non-profit fan fiction, and the author never receives any incentive for her work. All original characters are belonged to **papilon **and forbidden to use without permission.

**Warnings:** This work is rated as R for violence, child abuse, sexual content, family problem, occultism, and cunning nature of wish-granter witch.  
The idea is based on 'what-if' condition, cross-over story, and also, dimensions. Therefore, some readers may assumed this work as an AU-piece, and please feel free to assume so. Please expect several and major OOC for some major characters in this story, cause they are important in story development. Some original characters also make an important appearance here.

**Spoiler:** Nothing much for prologue story, but expect more as the story continues.

**Summary:** A grudge of a woman with an aid from wish-granter witch changes the course of fate of one certain youth, and Earth along with it.

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Prologue – Beginning Winter

Kyoto, 19 February 1974

Row of death trees along the street covered slightly by pecks of winter snow provide more pressure to the still atmosphere. This along with gray sky after snowfall earlier accompanied a lone woman who walks briskly in the middle of empty street.

She is someone in early twenties and with a face of elegant beauty. Her figure covered in heavy embroidered kimono in winter style indicated that she comes from quite wealthy family. Small round face, straight nose, peach-coloured lips and elegant brows, which currently furrowed in deep concentration, adored her lovely feature. Snow pile crunches under her hurried steps. Holding a small green bundle, she looks around in impatience manner. In fact she is almost panic.

"It's around here… They said so!" White smoke vapor of her breath appears more frequently as her breath turns rusher when she turns around again, and returns from where she comes from.

"The left from third tree in front of yellow house… turn right after fourth house… keep going until you meet stone path… turn right straight at the fifth house… Where is t-!"

She stops dead at her track, mouth agapes with unmasked surprised written all over her face. The empty lot which she has previously been passed three or four times now has filled with an ornamented-weird building. Its design is a clash between Far East, oriental, and Gothic building, which gives unnerving vibe to its surrounding. Of course, not to mention all surrounding building are mostly tall- many storey buildings, which gives the appearance more disturbing feeling.

"B-but---…How-…just--- I-" she claps her mouth shut with an audible click sound. Setting her jaw and mouth in thin line, she regains her composure in an instant before strides determinedly inside the building.

---

If from the outside the building looks weird enough, the inside and its occupants are more than you could imagine. Especially its occupants.

As soon as the woman entered, two small girls greeted her cheerfully at the entrance with high-pitches voice: "Today we have a customer, mistress!" and they started running inside leaving her with no choice but to follow. And as she stepped inside a shoji room, opened by the courtesy of those previous girls, the scene behind it made her stopped death for the second time of day.

Black hairs which are questionable long the woman current positioned almost covered all the space left of the cushion she occupied. Long pipe held gently in long white slender hand which puffed out white hypnotizing smoke as the one who held it smokes leisurely. Tall slender very feminine body covered in the most outrageous kimono she had ever since seen sprawls lazy with no kind of modesty shown. A pair of half-lidded red-coloured cat-liked eyes peers at her with mild interest.

"My, I didn't expecting a customer today," the woman at cushion puffs out the smoke before addressing her with a small secretive smile," please come in and take a seat," tilts her head lightly," you've a wish to be granted, haven't you?"

As if come out from a stupor, the woman with small bundle shakes her head and steps inside with only slight hesitation.

"Maru! Moro! Bring tea here!" the woman gives a command which answered with a chorus: "Yesss, Mistreesss!" and they dash away leaving smoke trail. After staring at departing figures, the guest turns to look at her host who is now sitting straight at her seat. Finally she sits down at seat across the smoking woman.

"I'm sorry for this," the host waves her hand to her surrounding," I wasn't expecting anyone today, therefore please excuse this setting. Ah! And I hope you don't mind I'm smoking." The tone indicated she does not actually care for he guest's permission which made the woman frowns slightly.

"It's fine," said the guest. Smiling slightly, the host takes a drag from pipe once more.

"Before we start anything," she pauses to gather her guest attention," I'm warning you; the wish you want to fulfill has to be paid with an equal price. For anything you gain, you have to pay it back with equal amount. No more, no less."

The guest sets her jaw tightly and nods firmly. Of course she knows it, for she had heard rumors about wish-granting shop with its peculiar owner who is actually a witch along with her peculiar bargaining rules.

Satisfied with the answer, she asks," so? Any particular wish you have in mind?"

"Yes." The guest holds the small bundle she had been holding all this time in arm-length. "I want you to seal this child's power."

Raising one fine eyebrow, the host looks at her, then at the bundle which covered a baby inside, and returns to the guest.

"Pardon?"

Frowning slightly, the guest retrieves the bundle back to stare hard at slightly confused witch. "You-… I heard that you're witch…?" she asked hesitated. At a nod as answer, she releases a relieved sigh. "Then surely it won't be a problem with you."

"It depends." The host noted how tense her guest has becomes after her previous sentences. She already knew there is going something happened in the future with the arrival of this customer; her appearance at her shop is not something she foresaw, and it could be something bad, not only for her, but many other things…

"You have to be precise in describing your wish," the host explained; she looks at the bundle, and noticed that the baby inside is sleeping peacefully undisturbed with all smokes in the room. _'Hm, interesting…'_ she noted and stored this piece of information at her mind.

"O-oh… I guess you're right…" the guest sighs again, and looks away for a moment.

"I… I'm married into a family with… unique background." The host noted how her tone suddenly dropped several degrees; she wondered idly why her guest married with a family she clearly hates, which is she vaguely remembered what a confusing creature human is. She returns her wandering mind back to her guest when she starts to continue her story.

"They have, what you probably called, strong spiritual power, and those with this power work for the family." She stops here and looks down with frowning face.

_'Really, any more frowning, and you'll be a grandma faster than me,'_ the host tempted to rolls her eyes.

Loud pounding footsteps echo throughout the hallway, and shoji-door yanks hard with two previous little girls excitedly bring ordered tea: two cups of Earl Grey tea in elegant English style cups.

"Mistress! The goods is safely delivered!" they bow and dash out again in maddening speed after close shoji-door softly. The guest stares at closed shoji-door baffled, while the host sips her share of tea calmly like previous event is an everyday occurrence, which is in fact an everyday occurrence for her. She winces slightly at the taste of tea, and puts it down with mild distaste. It's not like she blames those girls for their horrible tea-making, since their lack of taste-buds, but, oh how she could not wait the day when the maid-boy will arrive, and her day could not been any happier.

"And?" the host prompted her guest to continue.

"Ah! Yes…" jolted out from her temporary reverie, the guest takes a deep breath to continue her narration.

"To make it simple, my husband's family just recently chooses a heir for the clan's head. The previous clan's head, which is my mother-in-law, along with all elders, choose this child as the next clan's head.

They insisted only him is suitable for the position, and no one else capable to do so."

"And you want to seal this child's spiritual power, am I correct?" asked the host, which is answered with a firm note from the guest.

Sighing to herself, the host mused how troublesome this wish is.

_'Sealing someone spiritual power requires a lot of power, payment, and especially, time,'_ glances at the guest,' _and I don't think she's willing to wait her wish to be fulfilled in long period… Hmm, maybe a long time payment will do…?_'

"Ano…"

"Hm?" the host lifts up her head, and with slight amusement, notices the first sign of nervousness of the guest: small fidgeting, slight blush, and darting eyes. Those things made her much younger than she previously looked.

"This is this child's birth time and place." She hands out a piece of paper, which the host receives with lazy grace. "And-…" that small fidgeting again; the host is tempted to hug and cuddle her guest, only with great restrains she able to stop herself.

"Do not you… need to carry this child…? For…" a shrug; the host prefers the fidgeting," for a check-up or something…?"

Wordlessly, the host lifts both her hands, which a cue for the guest to stand up to hand over the child.

_'Sigh, I always weak at cute thing…'_ the host grumbled softly inside her mind, while proceed to look at the child inside the bundle, who stirs lightly after being handed over. And the host's eyes widen perceivably when a pair of the greenest eyes she had ever seen.

_'S-so-so…'_ she gulps slightly,' _CUUUUUUUUUTTTTTTTTEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!_' This time, she does not restrain herself, and proceeds to cuddle the cute thing in her arm. Cherub face, short black hair, chubby cheeks, stubby fingers in equally small palms, and lastly, big-wide-round green eyes which are querying the host with the most innocent gaze which is bordered as a crime.

'_Damn, I wish I could stop this child's growth and keep it to myself forever!_' the host glances at slightly startled and bewildered look at her guest's face,' _okay, no need to unnecessarily scaring the client…_'

Collecting her composure, the host starts doing her work. First of all, checking this child's, a boy she noted, potential of spiritual energy. She places her open palm in front of the child's face, not touching, but only hovering a few inches. Slowly, she unravels threads of energy around the spirit, and soon found it: a huge amount of spiritual energy which is able to blast normal practitioner if encountered carelessly. Still not recovered fully from surprise, she feels a tingle of the power, which is quite familiar. Very familiar, actually.

Blink. "Sumeragi?"

The reaction is immediate. Her guest stiffens immediately at her seat. '_Ah, it's correct then…_' the host looks at the baby again, who is now lifting both his arms in invitation of playing. Smiling slightly, the host accepts the invitation, while thinks mindlessly.

'_Sumeragi… Future head clan… Wait!_' She immediately reads the piece of information inside paper she previously received. '_Birthplace: Kyoto. Birthday: 19 February 1974. Birth time: 01.13 AM. 1974…_' she did a small math calculation inside her mind, and her eyes widens perceivably,' _no way…_' She looks at the baby who is holding her finger in loose grip. A pair of smiling green eyes looks at her innocently. Gears inside her head move rapidly.

This boy is supposed to meet her 8 years from now. Not now. And the one who takes him is his grandmother, not- She glances at currently rigid woman. '_His mother, indeed._'

Slowly a little cunning smile forms at her face. This is unexpected, and anything to mess up with fate's scheme, if anything at all, is always interesting and worth the shot. '_Not to mention_,' she frowns,' _I always wish this boy to have happiness…_'

Forming a plan, calculating this and there, the host finally looks at her guest.

"Very well, I could do that, but," she lifts up three of her fingers," after this, I need you to do these things for me." After making sure, her guest has her full attention, she continues.

"First, change his birth record as following things. Birthplace: Kyoto. Birthday: 18 February 1974. Birth time: 12.53 PM."

The guest nods slowly.

"Second, change his birth order with his twin. Make him the older one."

The guest widens her eyes. "How-" and she claps her mouth immediately. Then she gives a curt nod.

Raising one of her eyebrows, the host continues. "Third and last. This is about your payment." The guest perks up immediately at this.

"I do not have much money, but-" "It's not monetary, I assured you," the host looks at the baby, and at her guest," you have to raise this child by your own."

A sharp intake of breath is heard; the guest's expression is looked like she just given death sentence.

"Of course, it's only valid until he reaches adolescent," pauses to make a small math calculation," just say, at his high-school year. But you have to take check-up on him regularly, to keep updated of his condition. If you neglected, even once," the host leans on her body, and speaks in low-warning tone," the seal I'm going to place on this child would nullified itself, and his spiritual power would immediately returns in full force."

The host gives a melancholy smile at this. "And I assured you, he will definitely become the head clan."

Aghast, the guest looks so horrified at the prospect. It seemed to be her biggest concern.

"…How about his…" A slight hesitation. " …his twin…?"

"I never mentioned about it, do I?" The host gives an indulgent smile. Inside, she smiles smugly. '_Two bird in one stone! One for the boy, and one for the girl._'

The guest contemplates this piece of information. A long silence fills the room, except for sound of playing baby with the host.

"Okay…" the guest answered slowly.

"Excellent!" the host beams suddenly," I'll start immediately if you do not mind?"

Blinking owlishly at the sudden abrupt change of mood, the guest nods stupidly.

"No problem…?"

Wisely ignored the tone, the host stands up and walks to next door.

"Maru! Moro! Bring me my ceremonial dress!" She looks at her guest behind her, who has standing hesitatingly, through her shoulder and smiles cunningly," I must say I have to thank you."

Blink. "What for?"

Grin. "For giving me a rare chance to mess up with fate."

see the continuation in  
Grey Sky - 01

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**Notes:**

(1) For anyone who is still wondering, yes, the host of the shop is indeed Ichihara Yuuko from xxxHolic. At xxxHolic volume 1, it is mentioned subtly Yuuko told Watanuki that she had met Subaru when he was small. I presumed she had already predicted to meet him in this fic.

(2) The payment her customer, in this case Subaru's mother, has to pay is she has to raise Subaru by her own, meaning she not allowed to let another raises him in her stead. At the manga, Subaru and Hokuto are both raised by their grandmother at Sumeragi's household at Kyoto. But, at one of their interview, CLAMP stated that both of their parents are still alive. In this fic, I made Subaru's mother forced to raise her son, to make parent-child's interaction appear.


End file.
